OMG, lucky guy to have a friend like you!

The first thing I was going to suggest I THOUGHT was $250, but it's $450.
Darn. It's this huge tome that just came out about crazy modern cooking by
Nathan Myrvhold.

But failing that, if he's in LA, you could give him the pizza making class
at Mozza (I've been - it's so fun) - and you could gift it to him with a
certificate from there as well as some of the tools for pizza making he'll
want to have, like a big flat spatula or a pizza stone or the special
Mario Batali pepperoni they sell at Mozza to go or the Mozza Fresca they
tell you to buy at Whole Foods.

Or you could get him a few things and a gift certificate to Surfa's in
Culver City?

If he's not in LA, or even if he is, you could get him a bunch of
things from LA MILL coffee in Silverlake, which is amazing. I featured LA MILL in a VGL episode about host gifts!

Finally, Williams Sonoma has a lot of great things you could get monogrammed, which
is always a special way to go. How about this monogrammed steak brand?

Happy gifting! That is VERY good-looking!

I know you asked about online wrapping supplies, and I will get to that, but first: if you have a downtown design or flower district in your city (like we do in Los Angeles), the best and cheapest ribbons can often be found at supply stores in those areas (in L.A., there's a place called Moskatel's that is downright inspiring.)

Online, you could go to the Container Store or craft stores like Joann or Paper Source, but I love the paper rolls (some are recycled), double-sided sheets, and packages with ribbon from Whimsy Press. PLUS, they're having a Cyber Monday sale (35% off with the coupon code: BUSY)! Go for it!

I wholeheartedly agree! I use any old brand of Italian extra virgin olive oil in bulk from my grocery store for cooking with heat. If I am using it for a salad dressing or something cold, I upgrade to a more premium (i.e. expensive!) brand, like Laudemio Frescobaldi (one of Mario Batali's faves, too.) If you like to dip bread in olive oil, it's best to taste test the olive oil first, because everyone's tastebuds are different. I prefer the olive oils of Spain, for example (low acidity), which you can buy online at Tienda.com -- or the ones from our own Napa Valley, like Pacific Sun.

Thanks for asking! Snapfish and Shutterfly give out a lot of coupons for their sites, so they'd probably be less expensive in the end, but you can't get higher quality than my faves - iPhoto/KodakGallery (I know, old school) and Blurb.

It depends on the situation. But here's the brief rundown: Dinner party = candle or potted orchid plant Weekend away = something to eat together over the weekend (like: a coffee cake or weekend basket sent ahead from Zingermans.com or bagels from H&H or Zabar's in NYC) Party weekend (like a destination 40th bday) = an after-the-fact memorabilia (like an iPhoto book of the occasion or a custom slideshow by Animoto) What about you??

Classes are a great idea for your mom – and because she has so many interests, the first place I would look is your local university. Many universities have an adult education department – you could get her a gift certificate to the general programs, and then gift it to her with the catalog of choices.

And while they aren’t exactly “classes,” educational tours might also be a good idea – at a museum, in your downtown, or at the public library/YMCA/community center. Finally, if you wanted to find a teacher/tutor on any of these subjects (bridge seems like it would lend itself well), Craigslist.org is a great resource.

Even if you’re a gourmet cook who entertains with ease, and a great employee that your boss loves, this is a high pressure situation! So, I say: make it easy on yourself and cook the thing you are best at – and that you do most often.  Even if it seems like a weeknight meal, it’ll be better than a restaurant, because it’s cooked by you with care.

Ask your boss prior about any food proclivities (you wouldn’t want to serve her steak if she’s a vegetarian), and then work your menu around that. Have a cheese platter (easy to assemble) with the cheeses labeled and ready (fun, interactive, and impressive) and a bottle of wine open (if she drinks) when she arrives. Buy gourmet cookie dough from Trader Joe’s, a local bakery, or the grocery, and have the cookies baking in the oven when she arrives, too – the smell will make her feel immediately comfortable. Serve them for dessert with your favorite store-bought ice cream or gelato.

You are an excellent friend, and she will likely always remember how supportive you have been. Although it really depends on her expectations (Did she grow up in a more formal family? Is she appreciative of texts and emails she’s received, or only letters?), I think it’s still important to put something in writing – and it also gives you an opportunity to say some of the things that are harder to say in person.

Make sure to keep it personal – express your feelings for her and for her mother (if you knew her), and include any anecdotes you remember about her (or about things your friend had said about her) – and then reiterate your commitment to your friendship.

And know this: there is no perfect condolence letter. When my mom died, nothing that anyone wrote helped the situation, or hurt it more than it already hurt inside. But what did help was hearing from people in general. So, go for it!

I am over TripAdvisor and even Yelp. I still think the best travel advice comes from either: friends who know you OR professionals, so I usually reach out by asking friends specific questions via email or Facebook. Fathom and Indagare are two travel websites that, while very different from one another (Indagare is a luxury site with guides that read like magazine entries, while Fathom has short-form stories and caters to a hipper demographic), both sites feature content from travel writers – or, at least, opinionated, smart people who travel a lot. They’re my two faves!

I also check websites for my particular interests: For example, when I am looking for great restaurant recommendations from fellow foodies, I go to the message boards at Chowhound. And for nightclub/disco recommendations, I go to the Hedonist Guide or Clubzone.

Finally, I love the selection of hotels – and the discounts! – on member sites like Tablet, Vacationist, and Jetsetter – click on those links to be referred for membership!